Following their 112-104 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, the Minnesota Timberwolves fell to a 7-21 record, which gives them the worst record in the Western Conference. But even after the defeat, the play of rookie guard Anthony Edwards against the defending champions has given the Timberwolves a lot of optimism about the team’s future with the first overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft.

Against the Lakers, Edwards finished with a career-high 28 points, making 10 of 20 shots from the field while adding seven rebounds, five assists, and two blocks in 34 minutes of action. In doing so, the 19-year-old became the fourth rookie in Timberwolves franchise history to finish with at least 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a game.

But Edwards’ strong game against LeBron James and the Lakers is hardly his only standout performance this season. Since being moved to the starting lineup, the former Georgia Bulldog has averaged 17.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 44% from the field and 35.7% from beyond the arc. Edwards’ averages over the last six games is even better, as he has put up 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists with a 55.4% true shooting percentage.

The team may not be racking up the wins now, but Anthony Edwards has already shown Minnesota that he is worthy of that first overall pick that they used to select him. And it’s not just his teammates and Timberwolves fans that have taken notice of his performances, as the rookie has received praise from players like former Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade.

It’s too early to tell if Edwards can surpass a player like Wade, but the three-time NBA champion was right in saying that he has all the tools that he needs to succeed in the pros and bring the Timberwolves to greater heights. After their game, James also recognized how Edwards has been playing for the Wolves.

“First of all, (he is) a great kid,” James told Spectrum SportsNet after the game. “Obviously, we know what he can do with the game of basketball. He showed that tonight, been showing throughout the course of his rookie season so far.”

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The Timberwolves entered the season with the hope that the All-Star pairing of Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell can help them compete for a playoff spot in the West, but with both players missing a large part of the season, it is the play of Anthony Edwards that has stood out for the team. While it is clear that Towns and Russell are still the team’s players, the 19-year-old Edwards has shown that the Timberwolves will still have a bright future even if one of both of their All-Stars depart.

Towns, a two-time All-Star, has missed 13 games this season due to COVID-19, while Russell, an All-Star back in 2019, will miss the next four to six weeks as he continues to recover from arthroscopic knee surgery. Like Edwards, Towns was a first overall pick, with Russell taken after him in the 2015 NBA Draft.

The two players have long desired to play together, which finally became a reality when the Golden State Warriors traded the former Laker to the Timberwolves last February. But with the two stars playing just five games together due to injuries, it’s still unclear whether their tandem can live up to its billing.

With their present stars struggling and unable to share the court, the Timberwolves can take comfort in the fact that the team’s future is secure in Edwards, who looks as good as advertised so far and can still improve as he spends more time in the league. But in just 28 games, Anthony Edwards has already impressed some of the league’s best current and former players with his recent play and has looked like the kind of player that a franchise can build around in the future.